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3 days in Lorraine - Champagne --Burgundy?

Will be in Amsterdam for 4 days in October, then have 3 nts/4 days until we go to Paris for two days before our flight home. We've seen almost nothing of France outside Paris, so am now thinking of taking a train from AMS to someplace just inside France and picking up a car for 4 days to wander through Lorraine-Champagne, maybe Bourgogne before ditching the car and taking a train to Paris.

Is this reasonable? Can we find places to stay without booking in advance? Or should we find a place and stay put for 3 nts to do day trips before heading to Paris?

I would pick up the car in Lille and wander through Picardie, Lorraine and Champagne. That should be more than enough for 4 days. Nancy by itself is worth a full day (2 nights), Troyes is worth a full day, and there are stops to be made in Arras (its squares) and Amiens (its cathedral).

I definitely agree with Michael about Troyes. I spent a day there in June and loved it.

I've never visited Lorraine nor anywhere else in Champagne except for Troyes so cannot help with them. But if you're interested in Bourgogne, Troyes is only 1.5 hours from Auxerre, which is definitely worth at least a few hours to wander around and see the cathedral and abbey. From there, you can drive to some chateaux (e.g. Tanlay and/or Ancy-le-Franc) and Vézelay.

You could drop off the car in Auxerre and take the train back, or you can drive down to Beaune, which I haven't made it to yet, but others on this board have raved about it.